Wall covering system



Aug. 22, 1967 1 F. MENKE 3,336,711

' WALL'COVERING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 10, 1965 3 2 Wig- 371 INVENTOR. HENRY F MENKE of FIGURE 2.

V curing element 20 to the adjacent United States Patent M This invention relates to wall covering and facing systems of a type formed primarily of sheet materials and more particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a system which is adapted to be attractively installed with a minimum of material and labor cost.

More particularly it is an object of this invention to provide a way of attaching panels to a supporting structure by means of retainers attached to the structure and having outer ends interlocking with terminal edges of the panels.

A further object is to provide a structure as described in which the retainers are spaced apart so that light and air can pass through the panel system for providing many advantages among which are ventilation through windows that might be disposed in the wall of a building covered by the panel system, light passage through to such windows, and also to permit wind to pass behind the panels whereby storms do not tend to tear the panels from their wall.

Still another object is to provide a panel system as described which is supported by a plurality of nailer girts each having impinging portions for impinging securing elements, the portions :being urged toward each other by resilient portions of the nailer girt whereby by first mounting nailer girts on the wall of a building, covering panels can thereafter be speedily attached to the nailer girts.

Still a further object is to provide a panel structure as described which has first panels spaced apart and alternating with second panels disposed therebetween preferably with the second panels spaced from the first panels by substantially hidden retainers, whereby the entire covering system has a most attractive appearance.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles of this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a frontal elevation of a wall covering system of this invention, only a representative portion being shown.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the system shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 The wall covering system of this invention is generally indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2 at and comprises a supporting means having as its chief factor a plurality of nailer girts 12, which latter are attached to interconnecting members 14 by suitable securing means 16, as best seen in FIGURE 4.

The interconnecting members 1-4 can also be called spacers 14. The spacers 14 are themselves secured by sewall 22 of the building, as best seen in FIGURE 4, and it will -be understood that the spacers 14 can be of any size and are for a conventional purpose of spacing the remainder of the wall cover- .rality, each disposed. between 3,336,711 Patented Aug. 22, 1967 ing structure away from the adjacent side of the building sufficiently to clear irregularities in the wall surface of the building.

The building wall surface is itself identified at 26.

A wall system supporting means is generally indicated at 30 and has as its elements the elongated nailer girts 12 and suitable spacing means 14.

The m-ost'important element of the wall covering system is the plurality of spaced first panels 40, each of which are preferably vertically elongated and disposed on the outer side of the supporting means 30. As the outermost surface portions of the supporting means 30' are represented by outermost parts 44 of the nailer girts 12, and since these lie approximately in a same vertical plane, therefore, the first elongated panels 40 extend vertlcally.

A plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending retainers 50 are spaced along the length of each first panel 40 and along each of the adjacent side edges 52 of the first panels 40, the retainers 50 having outer ends 56, each provided with an elongated recess 58, called the first panel receiving recess 58, the Walls of which extend generally parallel to the plane defined by the outermost portions 44 of the supporting structure 30.

The first panel receiving recesses 58 open toward the plane defined by the outermost surfaces 44 of the nailer girts 12. The retainers 50 each have an outer end 56 which is spaced from the plane extending through the outermost portions 44 and each has a projecting portion 60 forming one wall of the first panel receiving recess 58. Each projecting portion 60 is on a side of the respective retainer 50 which faces toward a second vertically extending panel 70, of which in a wall, there are a plurespective adjacent first panels 40.

The first panels 40 each have a panel projecting portion on that edge of each first panel 40 which is closest to the second panel 70, the panel projecting portions 90 project inwardly toward their respective first panel 40 to which they are attache-d and also project outwardly away from the plane through the outermost portions 44 of the nailer girt 12 for defining with the adjacent portion 92 of the respective first panel 40 a retainer projection receiving recess 96 extending the length of the respective first panel 40.

The inner ends of the retainers 50 are shown at 100 and each lie in a plane disposed at an obtuse angle with respect to those portions 102 of the respective retainer 50, which portions 102 form the interconnection between the inner portions 100 and the outer ends of the retainers 50.

The second panel 70 is secured to each nailer girt 12 by means of nails which extend through the second panel 70, each nail extending between two securing element impinging portions and 162 of the nailer girt, which latter portions are interconnected by a resilient portion 166 in a manner for urging the impinging portions 160 toward each other to impinge therebetween a nail f securing element 150.

The nailer girt 12 also has a further portion generally indicated at 170 having a section 172 attached to one of the impinging portions 162, the further portion 172 being attached to the wall 22 of the building indirectly by means of securing element 16, as seen in FIGURE 4, which latter is attached to spacer 14, the latter being attached to the wall 22.

The further portion or central portion 17 0 of each nailer girt 12 is preferably U-shaped in top plan view having sides 172 and 176 disposed parallel with each other and interconnected by a back portion 178, which latter is secured against the spacing element 14, as best seen in FIG- URE 4.

tion 210 in a manner for urging the impinging portions 200 toward each other to impinge a securing element 150,-

and the side portion 176 is connected to one of the impinging portions 200.

It is desired that the innermost ones 162 and 200 of the respective impinging portions be the ones to which the sides 172 and 176 are attached as this construction is one which can be the most economically fabricated.

It will be understood that the entire nailer girt is preferably formed of a single piece of sheet metal whereby all of its parts are integral with each other.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, an end cap 270 which is of a C-shape in top plan view is provided having a central portion 272 interconnecting parallel end portions 274 and 276, one of which is secured to the nailer girts 12 by means of securing elements 280 and the other of which extends across the outer side of the first panel 40 which is at an end of a wall to be covered, being secured thereto by suitable securing elements 294, whereby the member 270 tends to cap or enclose one vertical side of the endmost one of the first panels to give the wall a finished appearance.

As thus described, it will be seen that this invention has fulfilled the objectives above set forth.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a wall covering system constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly Well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention can be changed and modified without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

1. A wall covering system comprising: a supporting means having outermost surface portions on an outer side thereof which lie approximately in a plane, spaced first elongated panels on the outer side of said supporting means, at least one second panel disposed between said first panels, retainers spaced along the length of each first panel and along each of the adjacent side edges of said first panels and secured thereto and having outer ends each provided with an elongated first panel receiving recess the wall of which extends generally parallel to said plane, said first panel receiving recesses opening toward said plane, said retainers each having an outer end spaced from said plane and having a projecting portion forming one wall of said first panel receiving recess, each said projecting portion being on a side of the respective retainer which faces toward said second panel, said first panels each having a panel projecting portion on that edge of each which is closest to said second panel and projecting inwardly toward the back side of its respective first panel and outwardly away from said plane for defining with the adjacent portion of its respective first panel an elongated retainer projection-receiving recess, the inner ends of said retainers being secured to said supporting means, means securing said second panel to said supportmg means.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said supporting means comprises a plurality of elongated laterally spaced nailer girts each having two securing element impinging portions interconnected by a resilient portion in a manner for urging said impinging portions toward each other to impinge a securing element, said nailer girt also having a further portion attached to one of said impinging portions and attachable to a wall of a building.

3. The combination of claim 2 in which said riailer girt is formed of a single piece of sheet metal and in which said further portion is of a U-shape having sides and in which said impinging portions are disposed on outer sides of said respective sides.

-4. The combination of claim 1 further comprising an elongated C-shaped cap member having a C-shape in cross section attached to and closing one side of an endmost one of said first covering members, means for securing said end cap member to said supporting means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,585,256 2/1952 Korman et a1 5275 2,596,934 5/1952 Langbein 52473 X 2,614,300 10/1952 Stinnett 52473 X 2,639,477 5/1953 Freeman 5275 2,904,140 9/1959 Cleary 52377 3,004,307 10/1961 Hallock 52473 3,282,005 11/1966 Birdwell 52364 FOREIGN PATENTS 775,759 10/1934 France.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WALL COVERING SYSTEM COMPRISING: A SUPPORTING MEANS HAVING OUTERMOST SURFACE PORTIONS ON AN OUTER SIDE THEREOF WHICH LIE APPROXIMATELY IN A PLANE, SPACED FIRST ELONGATED PANELS ON THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, AT LEAST ONE SECOND PANEL DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID FIRST PANELS, RETAINERS SPACED ALONG THE LENGTH OF EACH FIRST PANEL AND ALONG EACH OF THE ADJACENT SIDE EDGES OF SAID FIRST PANLES AND SECURED THERETO AND HAVING OUTER ENDS EACH PROVIDED WITH AN ELONGATED FIRST PANEL RECEIVING RECESS THE WALL OF WHICH EXTENDS GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID PLANE, SAID FIRST PANEL RECEIVING RECESSES OPENING TOWARD SAID PLANE, SAID RETAINERS EACH HAVING AN OUTER END SPACED FROM SAID PLANE AND HAVING A PROJECTING PORTION FORMING ONE WALL OF SAID FIRST PANEL RECEIVING RECESS, EACH SAID PROJECTING PORTION BEING ON A SIDE OF THE RESPECTIVE RETAINER WHICH FACES TOWARD SAID SECOND PANEL, SAID FIRST PANELS EACH HAVING A PANEL PROJECTING PORTION ON THAT EDGE OF EACH WHICH IS CLOSEST TO SAID SECOND PANEL AND PROJECTING INWARDLY TOWARD THE BACK SIDE OF ITS RESPECTIVE FIRST PANEL AND OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM SAID PLANE FOR DEFINING WITH THE ADJACENT PORTION OF ITS RESPECTIVE FIRST PANEL AN ELONGATED RETAINER PROJECTING-RECEIVING RECESS, THE INNER ENDS OF SAID RETAINERS BEING SECURED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, MEANS SECURING SAID SECOND PANEL TO SAID SUPPORTING MEANS. 